币界网报道：Russia's central bank has postponed the launch of its digital ruble (CBDC) to 2026, delaying the previously planned 2025 rollout. The Bank of Russia announced the revised timeline while reporting successful completion of pilot testing with 13 banks and real-world transactions across 11 cities. Over 25,000 retail payments and 2,500 corporate transactions were processed during the pilot phase. The regulator cited the need for additional testing and gradual implementation as reasons for the delay, emphasizing plans to expand merchant acceptance and introduce offline functionality in future phases. The digital ruble project, which began testing in August 2023, aims to create a third form of Russian currency alongside cash and non-cash options, with the central bank maintaining full control over issuance and circulation.